The English language is without a question the most important worldly language today. Not only does the English language have the most speakers worldwide, it is also massively used in business, science and culture communication.
Most native English speakers live in:
- USA
- Great Britain
- Canada
- Australia
- Ireland
- South Africa
- New Zealand
Why Did English Become an International Language?
Why English became the world’s most important language is an interesting question. Before English became a universal language, French was used across Europe instead.
But then, the rise of the English language began in the 19th century. At that time, the British Empire, with all its colonies, comprised up to a third of the world’s population.
After 1945, America’s supremacy was the main reason for the continued spread of English as a world language. This was helped enormously by the new mass media such as television and the Internet.
Further Interesting Facts About the English Language
- Over 80% of all electronically stored information worldwide is in English.
- Like German, English is a Germanic language.
- The secession of the English language from other Germanic languages occurred about 1500 years ago.
- Frisian is the most closely related of all languages to the English language.